Profile in Pink: In her own words, Staten Island breast cancer survivor relates her experience

Pauline LaRosa, captain of Pauline's Wings of Life team, participates in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk with some of her best teammates -- her husband Stephen and their children, Melissa and Stephen Jr.

(Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of Profiles in Pink that will run in the Health section throughout October which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The first-person accounts are being run in collaboration with the Staten Island region of the American Cancer Society.) 

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- I want to share my amazing story with you. I was diagnosed in September 2010 with a rare type of breast cancer in my left breast. At the time, I was only 40 years old.

I keep up with my mammographies and had my first at age 35, even though my doctors said I could wait until I was 40. The first was clean, but not wanting to wait another five years, I went for my next at 38, which also came back clear.

When I went for my next mammography at age 40, it revealed a nodule in my left breast. A needle biopsy confirmed it was cancer. At Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan where I was treated, I was told I have left breast spindle cell carcinoma.

In October 2010, I had a left breast mastectomy and in January 2011, underwent another surgery to have a tissue expander (for reconstruction purposes) put in. I had the expander in for many weeks so I could receive a breast implant.

The reconstruction surgery was planned for May 2011, but it didn’t happen then. I went back to my breast doctor who sent me for a mammography on my right breast. It showed that I had five calcifications, although a follow-up needle biopsy came back negative for cancer. 

ANOTHER MASTECTOMY

I had been through so much already. Instead of waiting for the right breast to show cancer, I decided to have it removed. It was hard for me to have the first one removed, and now the original reconstruction was replaced with a mastectomy.

I eventually had my first reconstruction surgery in September 2011, and started on my path to looking like the old me again. The second was in March 2012. All in all, however, I was lucky. I didn’t need chemotherapy or radiation, the cancer didn’t spread and I am now in remission.

I have a very supportive husband, Stephen, who is a firefighter and had to take a lot of time off to help care for me. My two kids, Stephen Jr., 12, and Melissa, 9, went through a very scary time in their lives, but were always there to support me.

One of the shining lights that came out of my breast cancer diagnosis was that I found the American Cancer Society and the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, which is taking place this year on Oct. 21 in Clove Lakes Park.

Join the fightThe Staten Island region of the American Cancer Society is hosting its Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk later this month with the hopes of one day eradicating the disease.When
Oct. 21 at 9 a.m.WhereClove Lakes Park, Sunnyside
What
The event is an opportunity to honor breast cancer survivors, remember those lost to the disease, and raise funds and awareness to help end it forever.
More information
Visit makingstrideswalk.org

I found out about the walk shortly after my diagnosis in 2010, a time in which I had to keep myself busy. I was just home from one of my surgeries when my son said, “mom, let’s go walk. It’s for breast cancer.”

MAKING STRIDES

So, I went. At first it was just my son and I and then my mother showed up to support me as well. It was a little overwhelming, but I was very happy to see the amount of people who came out to support the cause.

I went home wanting to fight back even more and came up with ways to raise money. I then called the Staten Island American Cancer Society to help me get organized and find the information and materials needed to start my own web page on the walk’s site.

I formed a team called Pauline’s Wings of Life. As a team leader, I set up a Facebook page and sold T-shirts with my team name and logo on it, which were bought up by my friends and family members who wore them to the 2011 Making Strides walk. I also set up shop in a supermarket parking lot, selling breast cancer awareness merchandise.

All together, I raised a little under $2,000. Everyone was amazed that I did that while fighting breast cancer. Talking about my diagnosis and keeping busy gave me a positive feeling. I know that the more we try to fight back, the more lives we can save.

I always try to have a positive attitude and know that I always will keep my head high. I sometimes get down, but I think of the bright side: I’m here now and am able to share my story of hope and courage.

Pauline LaRosa is a Silver Lake resident. For more information about Making Strides, visit makingstrideswalk.org.